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NFL Coach Power Rankings: Where Jay Gruden fits in among the 32 coaches

By Jacob Camenker

BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – DECEMBER 03: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers calls for a time out during the second half of a NFL game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 3, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The New Orleans Saints won the game 31 – 21. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – DECEMBER 03: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers calls for a time out during the second half of a NFL game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 3, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The New Orleans Saints won the game 31 – 21. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

87. . Head Coach. Carolina Panthers. Ron Rivera. 8. player

It’s hard to believe that Ron Rivera has been the head coach of the Panthers for seven years already. It seems that he’s only been there for a few seasons, but come this fall, he will be starting his eighth season at the helm of the Panthers.

During his stint with the Panthers, Rivera has done a very good job of making the team relevant. He was instrumental in the process of bringing Cam Newton to the team, and his philosophy about building a strong, tough defense has worked out very well.

With players like Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, Mario Addison, and formerly Josh Norman at his disposal, Rivera built a defense that nearly led the Panthers to a Super Bowl title in 2015. Unfortunately, the squad ran into an equally tough Broncos defense and lost the title game as a result of that. That was the only thing that kept the Panthers, who were 17-1 on the season before that game, from earning a ring.

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Rivera’s overall record with the Panthers is 64-47-1. He has led the team to four postseason appearances and three division titles in a very tough NFC South. His postseason record is 3-4, and really the only knock on him was not being able to beat an over-the-hill Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl.

Another positive for Rivera is his aggressive nature. He earned the nickname “Riverboat Ron” for frequently taking chances to help his team win games. These are often risks, but he knows when the time is right to use them. He understands how his team works and when the risks are necessary to getting them a win.

Moving forward, Rivera needs to continue to coach up the defense and hope that the recent hiring of Norv Turner (which was a great move) will allow the Panthers offense to get better. They’ve only had two top 10 offenses under Rivera, so getting that on track with Turner seems like a good move.

Rivera is a very good and intense head coach. Had he won the Super Bowl, we would be talking about him as one of the most consistently solid decision makers in the league.

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